“A month isn’t that long.” Deacon scratches his jaw. “And he isn’t really hurting anybody by drinking his feelings.”
“He could be hurting his snowboarding career if he isn’t ready to ride when the season starts,” Carter points out.
“Maybe we cut him some slack until then?” Deacon shrugs. I’m not sure I agree, but that’s probably not my place anymore.
Though he’s still one of my closest friends, Ryder and I drifted apart after he turned pro. He was always on the road, and I was always here, where nothing even remotely interesting happens. I mean, does he really want to hear about a trail he’s ridden a million times when he’s traveling the world?
The only noteworthy thing to happen since he turned pro was Carter buying the resort, and for the entire first year he owned it no one knew what he planned to do with it. So, without much to talk about we sort of stopped talking.
We still hang out when he comes home for the summer, but since Ryder doesn’t need to work at the spa anymore our childish game ofwho can score with more touristsdoesn’t exist. And since he’s under the impression I get my fill ofwomenthrough that job, Deacon took my place as his wingman.
The two of them have grown pretty close, to the point I sometimes feel like a third wheel, and I definitely defer to Deacon when people ask how Ryder’s doing. That doesn’t bother me except in moments like this when I wonder if Deacon’s making the right call. Then again, I’ve never lost someone so close to me. Maybe a month or two of drowning your sorrowsis acceptable.
“We should keep a closer eye on him, though.” Cade elbows his cousin.
“Yeah, probably,” Deacon agrees. “Anyone want to help me get him home?”
“I’m in.” I toss a few bills on the table as I stand up.
“I’ve got this.” Carter tosses my money back at me. “It was sort of a work meeting, anyway.”
“Okay, thanks.” I make plans to stop by his office the next day, then help Deacon cart Ryder home, feeling somewhat ashamed that it took Ryder’s pain to make me stop thinking about the dilemmas in my own life.
Chapter seven
Jace
“You’ve lived there all of, what… two weeks, and you want me to move to Katah Vista?” Axel’s been in my car exactly thirty seconds, and in the same breath as he thanked me for picking him up from the airport, he sprung this bombshell on me.
“Two and a half. And I was working on this plan before I moved there, I just didn’t want to say anything until I had it mostly worked out.”
I shoot him a sideways glance as I merge onto the highway and toward the arena where we’ll spend the next few days. “You couldn’t have waited until after the competition to say something? I mean, I’ve only had a few weeks to digest the fact that this upcoming off season is gonna look real different than it usually does, and now you want me to relocate?”
Using my middle finger, I scratch the side of my head, not so subtly flipping him off. His answering snort tells me he knows I’m giving him shit, even though he’s legit throwing me for a loop.
“Yeah, when you put it that way it sounds like I’m jerking you around, but I promise I’m not.” He runs a hand through the disheveled blond hair that made him a favorite among the female fans. “I know switching up the schedule so I could spend more time with Lennon puts you out of a job for part of the year, so I’ve made a plan to fill that time.”
“A plan that requires me to move to Katah Vista? I know you’re attached to me, but Lennon might think three’s a crowd.” I’m being sort of a prick, but Axel deserves it. He kept his interest in Lennon, a man, a secret from me for weeks when the two of us have no secrets, and while he’s entitled tocome outon his own terms, he was kind of a jerk about it.
I get that he wanted to come to terms with his feelings on his own, and I’m proud of him for making the decision to focus on his personal happiness rather than his career, even if that put my professional future in limbo. And while I appreciate that he’s still trying to look out for me, Axel and Lennon very nearly didn’t figure their shit out, so part of me worries that they need time just the two of them if they’re going to work long term. Plus—after my encounter in Utah—I’m a little worried about how a move would be interpreted by the guy involved in said encounter.
Blake and I left things undefined, and since he’s the only one of us with a permanent address that he didn’t ask me to visit, I can’t help wondering if that’s because he wanted to limit things to a night. Even though I’m certain we both felt something more than a hookup, he’s still completely in the closet, and he might not be ready to leave it. That would explain the lack of an invitation to swing by if I were ever in town to see Axel, but if I’m suddenly his neighbor… That could either be really convenient or really overwhelming for him.
“Lennon’s totally on board with my plan and with you moving there,” Axel brings my mind back to the present. “I think he believes it’s a good way to keep me from being underfoot at Murphy’s.”
I can’t hold back my laughter. Lennon is the biggest workaholic I know—he nearly chose his restaurant over Axel—and I have no doubt he’ll support any plan that might keep Axel too busy to bother him.
“Alright, so what is this grand plan?”
Axel spends the next twenty minutes telling me about this horse barn he wants to turn into an indoor training facility. A place where kids can learn how to do the dirt bike tricks that have made him famous. Apparently, there’s enough space to rideandset up a foam pit to practice jumps without having to land them. Not to mention a bunk room of sorts where people could stay if they don’t live in the area.
I never figured myself for an instructor, but I know enough to teach people how to throw tricks. After all, I used to do it myself, which is how I first met Axel as a little kid. The two of us trained together for years until I got more interested in filming than riding. In theory, that would make coaching a job to consider, and for the most part it doesn’t sound like a bad gig, since it would mean working with my best friend in an industry I love. It’s the location that has me concerned.
If I’m in Katah Vista, I know I'll want to see Blake. Putting aside the fact that we had some of the best sex I’ve had in a while, I like the guy. It was fun to talk about biking without focusing on the technical aspects, like where to set up the camera for the best shot. And I like how Blake listened intently when I talked about some of the places I’ve been. The morning after, I was disappointed that I couldn’t swing another night with him. It's a feeling I don’t get often, so the idea of seeing him again—regularly—has a lot of appeal.
I’ve never had a regular thing before, not for more than a few weeks anyway, and clearly he hasn’t either. It doesn’t sound like the worst idea, if every night would be like the one we had together, and after years of being too nomadic to have a relationship, the idea of havingsomeone to come home to is appealing. I think I’d enjoy having a person of my own. A boyfriend. But I have no idea whether Blake would want that since he’s still closeted.
True, he said he’d consider coming out if he had a reason to do it, but he also said he’s worried about how people would react to him being gay and working with kids. Personally, I think he’s overreacting, but Katah Vista is his hometown, not mine, so I’d respect his wishes even if I didn’t understand them. The problem is, I’m not sure I could stand to live in the same town as him and not act on my desires. I could be setting myself up for disappointment if I jump into this venture Axel’s proposing thinking it might mean a jobanda guy, only to find out the guy isn’t available.
